


Assignment

by HazelBite



Category: Space Cases (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-05
Updated: 2012-06-05
Packaged: 2017-11-06 21:40:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/423560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazelBite/pseuds/HazelBite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A class assignment leads to revelations that neither boy had expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Assignment

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place sometime after the series.
> 
> Written for 30 kisses on LJ. Prompt #2 news; letter.

"Now class, your assignment for today is to write a letter," Miss Davenport began to the stifled yawns that made their way around the first session of the day.

"Not just any letter, I want you to write to one of your classmates," she continued, holding up a finger as a round of groans echoed through the room. "This will be a good exercise for all of you. You will get to say whatever you want in your letter..."

"But Miss Davenport," Rosie asked after raising her hand, "what if someone gets their feelings hurt?"

"A good question Rosie and the answer to that is, you will not actually give your letter to that person. This is simply a writing exercise meant to help you convey your feelings." Miss Davenport gave them all a stern look. "I know living in these close quarters may have been making us a little...stir crazy lately, so this is your chance to let out all of your frustrations. Now, I have made a randomized list of your names and will assign your order..."

"Wait a minute," Harlan interrupted sounding incredulous. "You mean we don't even get to pick who we want to write to?"

"I'm afraid not Harlan as that would defeat the purpose. Now," Miss Davenport continued with a business-like attitude. "Bova, you will write to Rosie. Rosie to Harlan, Harlan to Radu, Radu to Suzee and Suzee to Bova."

There was a mixture of happy grins and disappointed sighs as Miss Davenport called out the names. Harlan,especially, was less than happy about having to write a letter to Radu.

"Let me remind you once more, try not to think about what you want to say, just write whatever is on your mind. Your letter will be due tomorrow so you have until then to work on it. Class dismissed."

\----------------------------------

Harlan sat alone in the bunk room, comp pad resting on his knee, finger tapping his chin as he stared down at the blinking line following the only two words he had dictated so far: _To Radu,_

He knew exactly what he wanted to say to Radu but it wasn't the kind of thing that he wanted Miss Davenport to read. She seemed to have forgotten that little detail; he was more likely to submit a censored letter to her than to one of his fellow classmates.

Making up his mind and taking one last glance around to be sure he was alone, Harlan began to compose his letter.

\----------------------------------

Radu rushed into the bunk room to drop off his pack. He was already late for dinner and he wanted to drop off his comp pad with the finished assignment before heading over to get something to eat.

As he was leaving, something on the floor caught his attention; a gray object almost out of sight by the door. Radu bent to pick it up once he noticed that it was another comp pad.

Radu turned it on to see who it belonged to, maybe Bova had dropped it in the rush to get to dinner. To his surprise, Radu found that it was Harlan's but before he could put it on the other boy's bunk and leave, that last thing that he had been working on flashed onto the screen.

Radu's own name caught his eye. It was Harlan's assignment. The one that Harlan had to write to him. He knew he shouldn't read it but his curiosity was too great.

_To Radu,_

_I'm probably going to write another version of this because this is something too private for me to turn into Miss Davenport._

_I know I've been horrible to you since the first time we met and in the beginning it was because of who you are. Andromedan, I mean. But living on the ship with you and the others has made me think. I hated you because of what you are but I know now that that doesn't make what happened to my father your fault. It's taken me a long time to realize this and I'm glad that I had you around to help me. Well, I mean you didn't help me in a way that you would know about, but you did help me and I want to thank you for that. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I hadn't met you I would have gone on hating all Andromedans for the rest of my life._

_…there was also another reason for me being so rude to you and that reason took much longer to admit to myself and sometimes I still think I'm crazy for it. But I want you to know. I consider you one of my good friends now and even... I guess I can't speak it out loud even to record it..._

The letter ended abruptly and Radu looked up, startled to realize that Harlan was standing right in front of him and he hadn't even noticed that the other boy had come in.

There was something about the way Harlan was acting that Radu had never seen before. He was no longer his cocky self, so sure about everything he was doing. Radu realized that for the first time, he was seeing Harlan as he had never seen him before; guard down and unsure.

Radu, still trying to process everything he had just read, was completely thrown off by his appearance.

"Harlan, I didn't...I mean, I didn't know..." Radu stuttered.

"You read all of it?" Harlan asked and Radu marveled at the worry in his voice.

Radu nodded, throat dry.

Harlan paused as though searching for the right thing to say, before he seemingly gave up on trying to explain with words and explained with actions instead.

Harlan had leaned forward and kissed him and Radu was still in too much shock to do anything but stand there. Eventually Harlan broke away.

"After all this time," Radu said after finding his voice. "I thought you still hated me."

Harlan gave him a nervous smile and, in it, Radu could once again see a hint of the Harlan he knew.

"I thought I did too."


End file.
